Land Legs
by mypiratecat1
Summary: PostAWE.  Humorous ONE SHOT, Complete.  Jack helps Will to finally set foot upon land after the curse is lifted.


_**Disclaimer:**__ They aren't mine. If they were, I would be on a deserted island, under a palm tree with Captain Jack Sparrow, William Turner and a cache of rum..._

It was a glorious day, even if the Black Pearl had docked in a seamy side of Singapore, at a port that was rather dirty, but decidedly pirate-friendly... in spite of the rather unsavory surroundings, the sun was shining brightly and the air was relatively clear, even if it was clouded with a dank fog from the murky water. Jack Sparrow was just about the happiest pirate captain in the world, and was walking down the gangplank in a very sprightly, if wobbly, fashion. Things were definitely on an upswing, after the experiences that he and his friends had all endured at World's End.

At his side was his friend, William Turner the Second, formerly the captain of the spectre of the globe's seas, the Flying Dutchman. After many, many months of servitude to the ship, the handsome young man had been freed of his curse through the efforts of Jack Sparrow, and through the benevolence of the sea goddess, Calypso, herself, toward them. There were conditions that William would have to meet in order to live his life away from the ghost ship, but they were generous conditions, indeed, and William had been reunited with his living heart, and with the love of his life, his wife, Elizabeth. They had recovered Jack's ship from Captain Hector Barbossa through negotiation, and the Turners were traveling with Captain Sparrow and his crew aboard the Pearl. They were stopping in Singapore to take on supplies prior to departing for the Western World, again. William and Jack were to meet Mr. Gibbs and Elizabeth in the marketplace.

Jack was prattling away about this and that, as he and William walked down the gangplank, until he suddenly noticed that he was going along alone, and talking to no one. Since his rescue from The Locker, his mind was quite unhinged, and this going along, talking to no one was not at all unusual, but even in his uncertain mental state, Jack was positive that William had been next to him a moment ago... He turned around to see his friend frozen in place, looking down at the ground, in what seemed to be trepidation. Jack frowned, and turned around in one graceful swaying motion, and went back to see what the trouble might be.

As he approached his young friend, it dawned on Jack what it was... a part of William's terrible curse as the captain of the Dutchman was that he could not set foot upon land. Yet here William was, with his living heart restored, spending every night in the arms of his beautiful wife in their snug cabin upon the Pearl, as right as rain. Jack puzzled about this for a moment, then leaned forward more closely than most people would (but then Captain Jack Sparrow was not most people), and spoke.

"William? Are ye comin' wif me?" Jack's round dark eyes searched William's face, as his delicate hands waved about like as though they were waves of the ocean that was such a part of him, and his head tilted from one side to the other.

William stared at the edge of the gangplank before him, his young face etched with vexation, his eyes holding too many recent memories of the dark times that had just been put behind them. Jack cleared his throat dramatically. As William finally looked at the captain, Jack couldn't help but feel a bit sad for the haunted look on the young man's tanned face. He spoke gently.

"...William... ye're free o' th' curse. If I had me a jar o' dirt, I would sprinkle some o' it on yer toes so's that ye could see tha' steppin' on land will no longer hurt ye." Jack's long fingers touched William's chest ever so lightly, "There is a beatin', livin' heart in there, lad... yer father an' I put it back in there ourselves, so's ye could rejoin yer loved ones, mate... ye have a scar, but tha's all..."

William smiled slightly, and said, "... I know, Jack... I know... I just felt a bit of fear just now, and..."

"Fear?" Jack blinked hard, shaking his head until the beads in his dark dreadlocked hair jingled like wee chimes, his eyebrows shooting up under the edge of his red bandana in surprise. "William, you have never been afraid of anything since I have known ye! I, meself, have sent ye into situations tha' no sane man could ever survive, yet ye never had one ounce o' fear about ye. I knew tha' ye had wot it takes t' get through anythin' tha' was pitched at ye, an' I always had faith tha' ye would be able t' take care o' yourself an' come through... ye've come through this, too, lad... it's over... it's _alright_..."

The captain stepped back, then tossed his head back, and rested his hands upon the hilt of his sword. He smiled reassuringly, and said, "...as yer captain, I am orderin' ye t' step forward, William, on to land..."

William took a deep breath and looked down at his boots, standing at the very edge of the Pearl's gangplank... at the very edge of the cobblestones of the Singapore street before them... the first land that he would step upon in many, many months. He smiled, hesitantly... Jack was right... it could have been ten years, and his friend had come through for him, in more ways than this ... the curse had been lifted... he stepped forward, and set one booted foot firmly on the street.

And in that wonderful moment... absolutely _nothing _happened.

William looked up at Jack, and broke into a huge grin. Jack grinned back, waved his arms out at his side and said, "See?"

As William stepped forward again, he suddenly swayed to one side in a very clumsy fashion, and had to throw his arms out awkwardly toward Jack to catch his balance. "Whoa, Jack!"

Jack laughed softly, and said, "... how long ye been at sea, whelp? Ye lost yer land legs! Yer gonna walk like _me _for a while!"

"Oh, great!" William laughed, as he struggled with his equilibrium, "... I _have _to find my land legs, again! I don't _want _to walk like you!"

And the two of them wobbled on to the marketplace of Singapore, holding each other up, with Jack muttering, "Wot's wrong wif th' way I walk? Maybe I can laugh at _you _for a change... oops there, whelp...how's about some rum?...It certainly can't hurt!...Ooo, bugger... you're heavy, mate!"

William laughed at Jack Sparrow... of all people, Jack Sparrow was holding him up... William took a deep breath again... it felt good to find his land legs, again.

"...Ow... Oi, lad, tha' was me foot.."

"...sorry, Jack!"


End file.
